Six horizontal strokes, even as Wei
On the return boat, the heroes surrounded Huahe Shang, Wu Xing and Xiao Wu, asking them to recount their experience at Li Shishi's tea party. Each of them looked envious, as if only these three had not come in vain on this trip.
"The flower girl with her sharp eyes, said that I, Hua, and Wu Er are monks without the smell of incense, Xiao Wu is a warrior without the smell of blood, and she herself is a woman without the smell of cosmetics. We are all extraordinary people in this world!" Monk Hua couldn't help but boast.
"Hua brother's body naturally didn't have the smell of incense, only smelled of wine and meat." Ruan Xiaoer sourly spat out a sentence, he and Song Jiang had wasted a fortune in gold and silver, but hadn't succeeded in winning over Li Shishi, and were not pleased.
"The flower girl's body had no scent of powder, but there was another strange fragrance that made both Sha Jia and Wu Er think of returning to secular life." Flower Monk raised his eyebrows and winked at Ruan Xiao'er.
"Flower idiot, flower idiot! You can have your way, just don't drag me into it." Wu Xingzhe finally found a new nickname for Huahe Shang, avenged the arrow that called him "Wu Er", and added another one, "Li Sheng has taken a liking to Xiao Wu, is that right or not?"
"What's going on? What's going on?" Xiaowu, who had been silent for half a day, blushed and argued, involuntarily imitating the martial artist by repeating the short sentence twice.
"Wooden wheel, wooden wheel! You dare laugh at me?" Wu Xingzi misunderstood and shouted out Xiao Wu's nickname as well.
"They say that women love finery, young ladies love wealth, you three are a spendthrift, a martial arts enthusiast, and a blockhead, I really don't know which one Li is fond of?" Song Jiang's single remark swept away the three of them.
"Big Brother Song can't eat watermelon, so he says the watermelon is sour." Monk Hua said with a smile, he was the only one among the 36 sworn brothers who dared to tease Song Jiang. Watermelon was more precious than grapes in the eyes of the Song people, hence this saying.
Song Jiang was so blocked that he rolled his eyes, just wanting to retort, when suddenly he heard the brothers on the lookout shouting "There's a big black fish jumping in the mud", meaning there were large troops of government soldiers on the shore. The heroes thought something had happened and hastily took their weapons from the bottom of the boat, preparing for battle.
Xiao Wu gripped the iron spear, his heart filled with anxiety. He was not skilled in naval battles, and if he were to fall into the water, even saving himself would be a problem. If he fell into the water, relying on the dog paddle he learned in the pond as a child, it would already be a blessing if he didn't drown.
Song Jiang signaled to the crowd to calm down, and he himself leaned out of the cabin window to take a peek. All he saw was a group of brightly dressed soldiers marching along the embankment, with infantry and cavalry in separate formations, gradually disappearing into the distance. He couldn't see the beginning or end of the troops, nor did he know how many men and horses there were, but they marched on, paying no attention to the boats on the river.
Song Jiang observed for a while and said in a low voice: "They are not coming for us, but just happen to be heading in the same direction. There is at least one infantry unit and one cavalry unit."
The total strength of the Imperial Army of the Great Song is around 800,000, divided into four levels: camps, armies, commands, and brigades. They are categorized into infantry and cavalry units under various departments. Each camp has a left and right wing, with each wing having ten armies, each army having five commands, and each command having five brigades, with each brigade having a full complement of 100 men. Calculating based on an army strength of 2,500 men, the number of officers and soldiers on the shore is approximately 5,000 people, which is considered a small-scale mobilization.
Song Jiang's judgment was only half correct, these officers and soldiers were not rushing towards the boat, but they were rushing towards them. It turned out that Cai, the prefect of the state, returned to the government office in disarray and wrote a memorial overnight, reporting to the imperial court: "The notorious Song Jiang gathered a group of desperate fugitives, rampaging around Liangshan Water Margin, local troops cannot resist, please dispatch a large army to suppress..."
The officers and soldiers of this department are the large army brought by Cai Zhizhou, who arrived at Liangshan Po with the good guys in succession. They immediately divided their troops into several routes, taking advantage of the cold winter season when the ice was frozen around the lake and the water surface was narrow, to guard each entrance and exit of the waterway, and launched a thorough search and capture operation to make it impossible for the strong bandits to hide. At the same time, the yamen of various counties around the lake posted notices, ordering fishermen to form groups of ten as a security guarantee, prohibiting them from entering the lake without permission, in order to cut off the food supply of the strong bandits; otherwise, once reported, they would be severely punished.
From then on, the activities of the good men were limited to around Zhangjiawan, and there was not much grain stored in the stronghold. After being besieged by government troops, they could only guard the large piles of gold and silver, but couldn't exchange them for wine and meat. With the New Year approaching, the mountain stronghold would be unable to open its pot.
On New Year's Eve, Song Jiang ordered that all the remaining food be brought out, the wine jars were opened, and the tables in the assembly hall were filled. He led everyone to pay homage to the images of Liu, Guan, and Zhang, and then fired the opening shots to welcome the new year, before sitting down to start the feast.
All are rough men with their heads tied to their waistbands, licking blood from the tip of their knives. Today there is wine and today they get drunk, who cares about tomorrow's worries? They make a ruckus, saying auspicious words to each other, eating and drinking to their hearts' content.
Xiao Wu saw Yi Zhangqing accompanying Han Jiu'er, also chatting and laughing, his heart relaxed a little, as long as she was fine, he didn't mind anything else. He then thought of his parents and wife at home, with whom he had lost contact, not knowing whether he was dead or alive, and how they would spend this New Year's festival. His mood became gloomy again, with complex feelings that couldn't be described.
Seeing everyone eating and drinking, Song Jiang, who had not spoken for half a day, finally spoke up: "A year's plan is made in the spring. Now that the government troops are pressing our borders and refusing to retreat, we can't just sit back and do nothing. Let's all gather together and think of a good strategy!"
"Since Pozi can't stay still, it's better to beat him out. A person who moves is alive, a tree that moves is dead." Wu Xingzhe proposed first.
"I think, why not take advantage of the New Year to make a big fuss in Kaifeng Prefecture, and simply pull down the old emperor from his horse, and let Song brother sit on the golden throne." The monk Hua was the most reckless and lawless, fearing that the world would not be chaotic.
"Boats are the foundation, as long as we get through the New Year, wait for the ice to melt, the government soldiers will not be able to do anything to us." Ruan Xiao'er obviously did not want to leave his hometown.
"Little Fifth Brother, what's your idea?" Song Jiang also asked Little Fifth for his opinion.
"Everyone, I also agree to advance as retreat, but we need to think a few more steps ahead, where should we go and how to get there?" Xiao Wu agreed with Wu Song. In fact, people with discerning eyes had already guessed that Song Jiang had a plan in mind, and Xiao Wu thought that once they broke out, it would be a good opportunity to take Han Jiu'er away.
"Alright, let's all go out and make a name for ourselves. If it doesn't work out, we can always come back!" Song Jiang made up his mind, slammed the wine bowl to the ground, and the heroes responded with a loud cheer, each smashing their bowls into pieces. The hall was filled with the sound of shattering porcelain, symbolizing both the wish for peace in the new year and the determination to break free from the old ways.
On the first day of the new year, the government soldiers were off duty and their defenses were relaxed. The weather also cooperated, with a thick fog rising over the lake. The thirty-six brothers each carried gold and silver, fully armed, and boarded a small boat, taking advantage of the fog to quietly approach the mouth of the Ji Water River. As they arrived at the shore, they let out a loud shout and sped away, expecting a fierce battle, but surprisingly, they broke through the government soldiers' checkpoint with almost no effort.
A small group of abacus-wielding accountants were supposed to be pursued by the government soldiers, but they took advantage of the chaos to escape with Han Jiu'er. However, all they heard behind them was the sound of gongs and drums shaking the sky, yet not a single soldier came chasing after them. The heroes looked at each other in surprise and couldn't help but laugh, having known that the government soldiers were cowardly and afraid of death, but they didn't expect them to be so incompetent.
At that time, the Jishui River had already frozen over, and the good men had long been prepared. They directly lifted the flat-bottomed boat onto the ice surface and used the oars to propel it forward. To their surprise, they slid across the ice as if they were flying. This was a trick often used by fishermen during winter fishing seasons - they would attach iron bars vertically to the bottom of the boat's keel, allowing them to slide faster than horses. And with that, they made off into the distance.
As soon as they left the border of Youzhou, everyone abandoned their boats and climbed up to the southern bank, rushing into a desolate mountain forest. Xiaowu's heart settled down by more than half as soon as he stepped onto land, seeing that Hanjiu, who was also dressed in short attire, was following with great difficulty, so without saying a word, he carried her on his back; being siblings, no one said anything about it.
After walking for half a day, the crowd confirmed that there were no scouts following them and found a sheltered place to rest. They ate dry rations by the water and discussed where to go next. However, everyone had different opinions, as the 36 brothers came from all over the country, each wanting to return to their own hometown.
After all, having formed a brotherly bond with the gang, Xiao Wu hesitated repeatedly and couldn't bear to secretly take Han Ninth away. He proposed to Song Jiang that the road ahead was fraught with danger, and they would inevitably have to charge into battle; his sister Han Ninth didn't know martial arts, and keeping her by their side would be a burden. It would be better to let him send her back to their hometown and then reunite later, so they could part ways without worries.
Song Jiang heard this, his eyes flashing, but he didn't respond. Xiao Wu knew he suspected that once he left, he wouldn't return, so he knelt down on one knee and made a poisonous oath. Unexpectedly, Song Jiang still neither confirmed nor denied it, and Xiao Wu couldn't help but feel some anxiety.
Hua and Shang looked at each other, then knelt down on one knee: "Xiao Wu is not a base and thieving scoundrel, we two are willing to stake our heads as guarantee!"
Xiao Wu's head was hot, he had always taken "words must be trustworthy, actions must be fruitful, promises must be sincere" as the foundation of his life, Huahe Shang and Wuxingzhe believed in him so much that they truly regarded him as a sworn brother.
Song Jiang saw that the two monks, who were in urgent need of support, had come forward to guarantee, and it was not good to continue to evade. He frowned and was about to speak when Xiao Jiu stepped forward: "Brother, your words are wrong. We have just escaped from a desperate situation and should be advancing together. If you leave, won't that shake the morale of the troops? Although I am not skilled in martial arts, I can walk and ride horses, and I will definitely not hold back everyone."
Song Jiang's eyebrows opened wide, and he nodded repeatedly: "Exactly, exactly! I also thought so. Since Little Ninth Sister understands the situation, let's not mention this matter again. Yijie, take good care of Little Ninth Sister, she is as important to me as you are!"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her!" A heroic and generous response from Zhang Qing.
Xiao Wu knew that Song Jiang had become wary of her, and it was even more difficult to take away Han Jiu'er. She didn't know why the little girl suddenly intervened, and she couldn't help but glare at her, but the girl turned her head away, pretending not to have seen anything.
Song Jiang slowly scanned the surroundings, and generously said: "Brothers of various families, there is a saying that brothers with one heart can break through metal. I plan to raise the banner of righteousness, and make our momentum bigger and better. Although we are only thirty-six people, we must do something earth-shaking, so that the court above and below will know our prestige, and future generations will recognize the good men of Liangshan...
In the second year of the Song Dynasty's Chonghe era, also known as the first year of Xuanhe, thirty-six sworn brothers, plus Little Ninth, actually thirty-seven people, emerged and disappeared on the vast land of Shandong, roaming freely in more than a dozen prefectures including Qing, Qi, Shan, and Bo. Wherever they went, they punished evil, eliminated corruption, killed the rich to help the poor, and all the common people rejoiced, while officials from top to bottom fled at the mere mention of their names.
Moreover, other bandits and Red Scarves also falsely used Song Jiang's name to cause trouble, one day in the west and the next day in the east, suddenly going south and suddenly going north, at times true and false, unable to distinguish between them, causing wealthy and powerful villains to lose their courage upon hearing the news.
Shandong, the ancient land of Qi and Wei, belonged to Jingdong East Road and Jingdong West Road in the Song Dynasty. The urgent letters from the two roads flew in like snowflakes, shocking the imperial court, which then dispatched several routes of forbidden troops to encircle and pursue.
It was December of that year, and the 36 heroes were finally trapped by pursuing soldiers on a desolate mountain. What kind of mountain? The mountains were barren and treacherous, with no water in sight, and the entire landscape was covered in grayish-brown rocks. Since leaving Liangshan Marsh, this was the first time the heroes had faced such danger. Their only hope lay in the fact that the mountain was surrounded by steep cliffs, with only a narrow path less than ten feet wide leading up to the top.
Xiao Wu stood alone at the top of the small path, with Ruan Xiaoqi behind him in charge of supplying arrows. With his archery skills, he could be said to be a single man holding a pass, and no one could open it up. However, everyone's arrows were limited, and even if they concentrated them together, if the government troops swarmed up, they would soon run out.
However, after only a year, the seventeen-year-old Xiao Wu had grown a rare mustache. In the Song Dynasty, men with white faces and mustaches were considered beautiful, but he didn't grow it for beauty; firstly, he was busy fighting battles everywhere and had no time to shave, most importantly, he wanted to disguise his original face.
Xiao Wu narrowed his eyes, gazing at the setting sun in the west, looking down at the government soldiers who were camping at the foot of the mountain. There were approximately two thousand men, all cavalry, and many good men had let their horses go to climb up the mountain.
The wind on the mountain top was strong, and not far away, the voices of the brothers' discussion were carried by the wind to Xiao Wu's ears. They were all expressing their opinions about the current crisis in front of them. Huahe Shang's voice was the loudest: "Why don't we take advantage of the Dog Official Army being unstable and kill our way down the mountain?"
"We are outnumbered, it's like sending ourselves to death..." Ruan Xiao'er remained calm.
"But we have no food or forage inside, and no reinforcements outside. We are indeed in a desperate situation." Wu Xingzi clarified the current situation.
The rest of the brothers were in an uproar, some saying to attack and others to defend, causing a big commotion. Xiao Wu frowned upon hearing this. Although the 36 sworn brothers were not a motley crew, they were mostly rough and uncouth men who couldn't come up with any good ideas.
"Many brothers, have you ever thought that besides attack and defense, there is a third way to go." Song Jiang, who was used to listening before speaking, again stunned the crowd with one sentence.
"Come on, Big Brother Song, don't keep us in suspense..." The crowd's hopes rose, and they urged him on with a flurry of questions. Xiao Wu was also quite curious - what third path could there be?
"Haven't you heard...?" Song Jiang glanced around, satisfying everyone's curiosity, before uttering this sentence, "To be an official, one must kill people and set fires to accept amnesty!"
It was this way! Xiao Wu furrowed his brow, although he had long been prepared to leave, but also did not want to accept the amnesty, only because in doing so, his true name and surname, which he had painstakingly concealed until now, would inevitably be exposed, and he would be forever known as a bandit, how could he face his ancestors?
"Surrender? Isn't that just giving up? I'd never do such a shameful thing!" Monk Hua shouted loudly, being the first to jump out and oppose.
"Actually, surrendering is not impossible either. We gathered to revolt, but it's all about living a life of wealth and honor, and dying with dignity. If we can't achieve that, then it's better not to do it at all." The group of good men who were just arguing over whether to attack or defend immediately split into factions, some agreeing to surrender.
"Who dares to say that I'm afraid of death and want to surrender? Only those who are timid and fear death would want to surrender!" The monk Hua was hinting at Song Jiang, ready to turn against him.
"We'd rather die than surrender!" Wu Xingzhi grabbed his short staff and stood alongside Hua, ready to fight.
"Let's think about it in the long run, Brother Song!" Ruan Xiao'er also didn't want to surrender and tried to mediate.
Xiao Wu took a deep breath, and it was only fitting that Ruan Xiaoer acted as the peacemaker. He was one of the earliest followers of Song Jiang and had a good relationship with the two monks. By stepping forward, internal conflicts would not arise.
"It was just a casual remark, if we really wanted to surrender, the government troops at the foot of the mountain might not even agree." Song Jiang forced a smile, making an excuse for himself.
"Everyone, brothers, little sister has something to say, I don't know if it's suitable to say or not?" Little Jiu's clear and gentle voice extinguished the remaining sparks of these men.
"Sister, go ahead and speak." Song Jiang had always taken care of Little Ninth, and now he was grateful to her for changing the subject.
Xiao Wu listened to Han Jiu'er and was about to speak, but couldn't help standing up straight with her ears perked up. All she heard was: "When we passed through Qingzhou that day, my younger sister found a book called 'Wu Jing Zong Yao' in the government warehouse. After studying it for half a year, I followed my brothers and entangled with the government army several times. Generally speaking, I figured out the way the government army marched and fought. To break through the government army at the foot of the mountain, it's not difficult either."
Many good men did not expect Xiaojiao to dare say such a thing, and for a moment they buzzed incessantly. Some were delighted, others disbelieving. To be sure, she was just a weak little girl with no strength to bind a chicken, how could she possibly understand the ways of battle?
Xiao Wu was overjoyed and didn't suspect anything, because he knew that among the people on the mountain top, no one could surpass Han Jiu'er from the Book Fragrance Family in terms of literary talent. He had also flipped through a few pages of "Wu Jing Zong Yao", but the writing was complex and dull, and ordinary scholars couldn't finish reading it. Most Song Dynasty warriors were illiterate, and even if they knew a few characters, they might not be able to understand it. It was mainly for military officials or generals' staff to read. He had wanted to read it carefully, but he had been busy fighting on the road and hadn't had time. Unexpectedly, Xiao Nizi had taken the initiative to go in, and with her cleverness, combined with her encounters with government soldiers several times, she naturally didn't find it difficult to understand the door.
"What's the difficulty?" Song Jiang was also half-believing and half-doubting.
"Brothers, do you know that we have clashed with the government troops several times and managed to slip away unscathed each time? Why is that?" Xia Jiu was dressed in a Jianghu attire, her face still as smooth as snow, without any scars from her years of traveling through wind and rain. "The government troops regard the 'Wu Jing Zong Yao' as their guiding principle, but they don't know how to adapt. In the chapter 'Xu Zhan Xia', it states that in a field battle, when encountering the enemy, one should form a square formation and wait for battle. Unless you have secured a strategic location, even if you see an advantage, you cannot take it. If the bandits retreat without reason, you cannot pursue them. Unless you have gauged their situation, even if you encounter weakness, you cannot attack. If the bandits are half-hidden and half-exposed, seeming to be in disarray, they must have a plan, so don't attack. If the bandits repeatedly come to harass us, provoking our soldiers, or challenge us to battle with a small force, we shouldn't respond, fearing an ambush that could trap our army...".
Xiao Nizi recited the "Fan" one by one, and unexpectedly recited the key points of the "Wujing Zongyao" field battle by heart. The good guys listened with a confused expression, while Xiao Wu's mind was crystal clear, recalling the several encounters with the government army, all of which were verified from it.
What a self-righteous and incompetent court, what a group of pedantic and muddle-headed officials and soldiers! No wonder they often lose and rarely win when fighting against foreign enemies. Is there any military strategy that can anticipate the enemy's moves like a god? The battlefield is changing rapidly, and to think that one can respond to all changes with an unchanging approach is simply the ravings of a madman! These rigid rules can only lead to the army losing the initiative, being beaten passively, compromising without gaining anything, and even suffering total defeat.
The little girl saw that the good men were still confused, so she explained it again in plain language, and combined with specific examples. Everyone listened to understand, originally so, couldn't help but greatly rejoice.
With a glimmer of hope, Xiao Wu didn't feel the slightest joy, his heart felt like it was being pressed by a huge stone. He thought about the Jurchen iron cavalry that was strong and preyed on the weak, and silently prayed to heaven to protect them, not to let the Jin people know about the vital passage of the Song Dynasty, otherwise, how could they let go of such a plump and tender piece of meat?
Unbeknownst to them, the Song Dynasty's rulers, indulged in their beautiful dream of recovering Yan and Yun, had once again sent secret envoys to the Jin State to haggle over the price of a joint attack on the Liao State, plotting with the tiger to flay its skin and inviting fire to burn themselves.
The heroes then carried out Xiaojiu's plan, first creating a loud noise and flying dust on the mountain top, startling the government soldiers below; then running wildly halfway up the mountain, deepening the soldiers' doubts; finally sending several people down the mountain to challenge and insult them.
The officers and soldiers fell into Xiaojiu's plan, panicked and fearful, taking advantage of the fact that it was not yet dark, they retreated. They had intended to lure the enemy, but did not know that the good men would take this opportunity, shouting in unison, rushing down the mountain, Xiao Wu first shot an arrow at the head of the central army flag.
The worst thing in a battle is to change formation at the last minute, and now the Imperial Army's men and horses were in disarray as they lost their commander, and being charged by these good fellows, their formation was thrown into great disorder, like headless flies, not knowing what to do.
The Thirty-six Pledges of Brotherhood, in order to save their lives, were as fierce as tigers. The official soldiers numbered in the thousands, but none dared to block them. Wherever the heroes rushed to, the officials and soldiers would make way for them, deeply understanding the true meaning of "not attacking" from the "Wujing Zongyao".
After the event was reported to the imperial court, the officials and soldiers did not mention their own incompetence and cowardice, but instead said that the bandits were highly skilled in martial arts, each one capable of fighting against a hundred, unintentionally helping the 36 sworn brothers to gain a great reputation. As for the rumors among the people, they were even more exaggerated, and the common people portrayed the heroes of Liangshan as being incredibly powerful, and Song Jiang's fame spread far and wide from then on.
